Bryant poised for major initiatives in China

(Mandarin translation follows)

Groundbreaking for Shu Fang Zhai project will be in spring 2013; discussions continue for joint venture with Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A Bryant University delegation met Nov. 8 with leaders of China’s Palace Museum, the body that manages the Forbidden City in Beijing, to build upon the three-year collaboration that will bring a reconstruction of the Shu Fang Zhai , a section of the Forbidden City, to the Bryant campus.

This will be the first time the Chinese government has allowed a section of the Forbidden City to be replicated and reconstructed outside the country.

Led by President Ronald K. Machtley, the delegation and museum officials established that a groundbreaking on the Bryant campus will be held in spring 2013 as part of the University’s 150th anniversary celebration. Madam Xu Lin, director of Hanban in Beijing, plans to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. The first phase of the Shu Fang Zhai reconstruction is expected to be completed before the end of 2013.

The reconstruction will be fabricated in China using the same historic techniques employed in the 1400s when the original structure was built, taken apart, put into containers, and shipped to Bryant, where it will be reassembled. This will be the first time the Chinese government has allowed a section of the Forbidden City to be replicated and reconstructed outside the country.

The project is intricate and complex – not only in terms of architecture and construction but also in terms of securing government approval – and draws upon the expertise of architects, construction companies, international logistics firms, and Chinese government officials. When completed, the structure’s buildings and courtyard will cover approximately half an acre on the Bryant campus and will be used as part of Bryant’s U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute.

Traveling with President Machtley were Dr. Hong Yang, Bryant’s vice president for international affairs and director of Bryant’s U.S.-China Institute, and University Trustee James Skeffington, a partner with the law firm of Edwards Wildman. The delegation met with museum officials in Beijing on the opening day of the Chinese government’s 18 th Party Conference. Chinese government officials say they are very excited about the prospects for launching the project next year.

International education is a strategic initiative of Bryant University, which more than a decade ago made a commitment to establish strong ties and relationships with various universities and programs in China. Since then, Bryant has become one of the leaders in international educational opportunities and is ranked 14 th in the nation for study abroad among its peers.

“The Shu Fang Zhai at Bryant will serve as an iconic visual and functional cultural heritage site for the exchange of ideas and academic programs. It will become a unique and integrated facility for the expansion of future Bryant Chinese programs,” said Machtley.

Earlier in the week, the Bryant delegation met in Zhuhai and Beijing with directors of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai to continue discussions on a joint academic venture that will result in Bryant developing a branch campus in China. Plans for this unique joint facility will be the subject of continued meetings among the universities, their accrediting associations, and the Chinese government. It is expected that the Chinese partners will provide all capital investments, including land and facilities, in this new joint venture.

In addition, President Machtley and Vice President Yang spoke as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of Bryant’s sister school, China Geoscience University in Wuhan.

About the Shu Fang Zhai reconstruction

Bryant University’s reconstruction of the Forbidden City’s Shu Fang Zhai will be the first to be built outside of China with the permission and cooperation of the Chinese government, and assistance from the Department of Ancient Architecture at The Palace Museum. President Machtley first announced the project in May 2008 at a special ceremony attended by former President George H.W. Bush.

For nearly 600 years, Shu Fang Zhai was the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. It was built in 1420 and renovated in the 18th century. Quinlong, the most famous emperor of the Qing Dynasty, used Shu Fang Zhai as a study.

The landmark structure, to be fabricated by skilled craftsmen in China using period-specific materials and authentic building techniques, will be transported to Rhode Island and raised on the Bryant University campus. When fully built, the facility will house Bryant’s Confucius Institute and U.S.-China Institute and will serve as an educational center for Chinese language, culture and history. The unique structure and its programs are expected to attract scholars and executives from across the country and around the world.